for all you who have processed your own 135 film, how do you find optical enlargement compared to digital printing? to say 12x16 scale? how do the tones compare?
I used Bronica sqa and sqai cameras for many years for wedding and portraits etc. They are great cameras and I liked them better than Hasselblads. The lenses are great and the build quality is fantastic. Never had to send one in for repair except when I dropped a body and lens during a wedding. The metered finder for the sqai was quite accurate. I kept one body, lens and magazine when I sold off my film stuff and use it from time to time. It is difficult to find labs to develop the film now days though.
JimUe wrote:
for all you who have processed your own 135 film, how do you find optical enlargement compared to digital printing? to say 12x16 scale? how do the tones compare?
I don't have a lot of experience with traditional printing. But I've done a bit of reading on the subject on largeformatphotography from those who have spent most of their life in the dark room. With inkjet printers being so good now it seems to really come down to how good the scan is, the processing, and the printing. No surprise. But you need a great drum scan to start with especially for a negative of that size.
With a great drum scan and a great printer (the person running the printer) you can get results that are comparable. Piezography seems to be one of the best ways to print digital b&w photos. I am sending out for some piezography prints soon. Usually just go the lightjet route.
Sorry, no great experience here in the darkroom to compare with. That ship sailed before I got into photography.
You must have a more thermally-stable water source then I, because I wouldn't dream of going without a thermometer.
My list was a bit comprehensive, but hey, most of it is $5 or less, really.
Specialty toned prints are absolutely gorgeous, but for run-of-the-mill RC B+W prints, or even some fiber-based prints, the Pixma 9500 does very, very well without all the fuss of a wet darkroom.
I don't miss wet printing much. I certainly don't miss C-41 (gaag! $$$$$ for novices) and I hope I never again have to breathe in *any* quantity of airborne fixer fumes, rising from the tray.
Zaitz wrote:
Thermometer (though you don't 'need' one)
The water here is ok, I use a thermometer but to develop photos it surely isn't needed. 50°...80° it will get the job done, that is all I am saying. I have a few thermometers as they are cheap as heck. But very little is actually needed to develop film. It's a pretty simple process and hard to screw up completely. For 100% repeatable results you obviously want to keep as many variables the same as you can. But it isn't a necessity.
sirimiri wrote:
Prints are fairly forgiving on temperature, partially because you can see the results.
But here, water could be 50° F degrees, or it could be 87° F, and I'd never @$@# with my film in that manner.
But I agree in principle that B+W is by far and large is the easiest, least expensive of analogue options.
I can get pretty close once the stream is coming out slightly cool on my hand. That usually is within 5°, sometimes still a bit warm as I for some reason want it to be neutral to my hand...but that is too warm.
I too am looking to get into film, except I am looking at 4x5 gear.
I don't wish to hijack the thread, so I will ask a general question that should apply to the OP's situation as well.
If you don't wish to process film, where would you send it to in the USA?
I see the OP is on the west coast, and I am towards the east.
Links would be good to have.
Also, where would you purchase your film? B&H?
Thanks!
buggz2k wrote:
I too am looking to get into film, except I am looking at 4x5 gear.
I don't wish to hijack the thread, so I will ask a general question that should apply to the OP's situation as well.
If you don't wish to process film, where would you send it to in the USA?
I see the OP is on the west coast, and I am towards the east.
Links would be good to have.
Also, where would you purchase your film? B&H?
Thanks!
BurnePhoto processes 4x5 and 8x10 fiilm. Their work has been perfect for me so far. Fantastic quality and their prices are actually quite good. They process color, both e6 and c41, on Wednesdays. http://www.burne.com/
I have a 4x5 Crown Graphic for sale if you're interested.
There are still a number of places that you can send film to. It's when people don't want to send film that puts them in a bind.
